Portable Telephone and Data Communication Control Method for Portable Telephone

1. A portable telephone comprising: speech transmission means for performing speech communication through an antenna; data transmission means for performing data communication through the antenna simultaneously with speech communication by said speech transmission means; detection means for detecting an obstacle that causes a deterioration in transmission efficiency of said antenna; and control means for, when one of a data communication request during speech communication and a speech communication request during data communication is generated, determining on the basis of a detection result obtained by said detection means whether to permit/reject the request.

2. A telephone according to claim 1 , wherein said portable telephone further comprises an earphone/microphone input terminal to which an earphone/microphone is attached, and said detection means comprises an earphone/microphone detection circuit for outputting a detection signal when the earphone/microphone is attached to said earphone/microphone input terminal.

3. A telephone according to claim 1 , wherein said portable telephone further comprises a speech microphone for inputting speech, and said detection means comprises a speech input threshold detection circuit for outputting a detection signal when a level of a speech signal from said speech microphone exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. A telephone according to claim 1 , wherein said portable telephone further comprises a distance sensor for measuring a distance between a main body of said portable telephone and the user, and said detection means comprises a distance sensor monitoring circuit for outputting a detection signal when the distance measured by said distance sensor is not more than a predetermined value.

5. A telephone according to claim 1 , further comprising radio means, when a request is permitted by said control means, simultaneously performing speech communication by said speech transmission means and data communication by said data transmission means through a plurality of communication channels.

6. A data communication control method for a portable telephone for simultaneously performing speech communication and data communication through an antenna, comprising the steps of: detecting an obstacle that causes a deterioration in transmission efficiency of the antenna; and when one of a data communication request during speech communication and a speech communication request during data communication is generated, determining on the basis of an obstacle detection result whether to permit/reject the request.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of detecting that an earphone/microphone is attached to an earphone/microphone input terminal.

8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of detecting that a level of a speech signal from a speech microphone has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

9. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of detecting that a distance between a main body of the portable telephone and the user which is measured by a distance sensor is not more than a predetermined value.

10. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of simultaneously performing speech communication and data communication through a plurality of communication channels when a request is permitted.